Reply With QuoteCurrent height and weight?
LP doesn't last very long, so why cut it even shorter? Read A Clarification and To Be a Beast. Maybe you can just eat maintenance calories while you do LP and then cut weight after.
Member
Strength and muscle mass gains for returning lifter on a calorie deficit
Hi all,
Tried doing some googling about this topic and got angry at the resulting drove of bullshit (DON'T count calories, that is a band-aid solution -- eat vegan instead / If muscle memory was real a 5 minute miler in high school would be able to run a 5 minute mile after laying on the couch for 6 years).
So, I'm a month into SS after being out of the gym for a few years (25 now, lifted 19-21). My previous strength levels and muscle mass were nothing to write home about, but still more desirable than the untoasted marshmallow man I have become. In order to not become a complete fatass, I'm starting off on a little cut with a standard 500 calorie deficit. The scale hasn't really moved since an initial 2kg water drop, but my strength is increasing linearly and I think my body composition is improving -- hopefully it's not in my head.
Can I expect the same muscle mass and strength gains of a novice lifter? More? Will my gains in strength outstrip my gains in muscle mass in this scenario, or vice versa? I fully expect to plateau soon, but I'm curious how far I can push this. If it isn't reasonable to expect any significant muscle mass accumulation, then the scale indicates that I'm running my calories too high and I need to drop them down a bit. If I can expect it, I'm probably sitting in a good spot for a recomposition.
Current height and weight?
LP doesn't last very long, so why cut it even shorter? Read A Clarification and To Be a Beast. Maybe you can just eat maintenance calories while you do LP and then cut weight after.
Member
You are, for all intents and purposes, a novice lifter.
Member
Are you not losing some fat now already?
I think it is silly to cut on the LP. The added activity and recovery will put you in a deficit if you simply don't add more calories while doing it.
Member
5'10", 187lbsOriginally Posted by marcf
I read them, and I think my decision to cut then bulk is more to their point than trying to reach the end of LP on maintenance -- which probably wouldn't happen unless I can get all the way there on muscle memory. I did not want to hop on 4000+ calories a day detrained, at 20-25% bodyfat already (another reason being I now have an unstable elbow joint from a couple of partial dislocations/partial tendon tears and wasn't entirely sure how well it would/will respond to progressive overload). I don't expect to get to the end of LP on the cut, but it will be easy to finish when I start bulking in 60 days or so. Worst case scenario my chosen path is somewhat less efficient (and offensive to the devout), best case I end up being stronger for my bodyweight than I was when I was 20. Eating a lot and gaining weight is not a problem for me.
I'm significantly stronger much faster than when I was a rank novice the first time (I remember really struggling with benching 135, deadlifting 225 etc.), hence the question. But in the grand scheme of things you're absolutely right.
The scale isn't moving but body composition is, I say tentatively, improving.
5'10" and 187lbs isn't that big. How do you know you're 20-25% bodyfat? That, by the way, is a HUGE range.
Member
Ballpark based on seeing a dozen bodyfat percentage charts over the years and the fact that I'm pudgy, unformed, and walked off all my muscle mass.
That's a huge ballpark. The difference between 20% and 25% bodyfat is noticeable. And unless you actually measure your bodyfat, you're probably a little off base.
For reference, I'm 6'1", 240lbs, and about 20-21% bodyfat and I don't consider myself to be super fluffy. Instagram
Don't cut weight. Just train and eat as you normally would. Run out LP for the next 3-4 months and when you've exhausted all you can out of it, you can start cutting.
Posting Permissions